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Control aphids with ladybirdt has been widely discussed and talk about. It is an awesome idea and it will help us to achieve pesticides free and non-toxic urban farming . However, how far it is true? How effective it is? Is it practical in all conditions or certain conditions only?

Ladybird larva is known to eat aphids as their food. Thus, it is widely suggested to use ladybird to control aphids. But how far it is effective?

I have tried both conditions with ladybird. First condition is to have it in my netting house. I leave ladybirds and aphids grow naturally. After 1 month, the number of ladybirds has increased. But the number of aphids increase even more and it eventually affect the growth of the cucumber tree.

In the second test case, i leave aphids and ladybirds grow naturally in open space. After 1 month of fighting between both of them, all my choy sum is gone. The number of aphids still out number the number of ladybirds.

In both cases, I attracted and grown good amount of ladybirds and its larvae. However, the growth of the ladybird can never be faster and more than enough to compete with the growth of aphids.

My conclusion is; Yes ladybird is aphids predator. No ladybird will not be able to out number and hence control aphids in natural way.

Ladybird however, may be commercially breed and released into greenhouse or netting house to control the outbreak of aphids. But I don’t think it is going to be a cost effective way to control aphids. We need to find other method that is more effective to do the job.